Vestmannaeyja Knowledge Center (ÞSV) and Matís ohf. wish to hire a project manager for a 100% job, about a 50% job at each company. The office is in the creative environment of ÞSV and partners at Ægisgatu 2 in Vestmannaeyju.
The main part of the work at ÞSV, in collaboration with its manager, consists of carrying out regional projects on behalf of the Association of Southern Municipalities (SASS) according to a special agreement. Including providing advice in the field of employment and culture and overseeing grants for more interesting projects in the field of regional development in the South.
The work at Matís is related to procurement, planning and participation in national and international research and innovation projects in the field of sustainable food production. It is also expected that the establishment in Vestmannaeyjar has a good relationship with food producers in the South and serves the companies, among other things, with grant applications and in connection with other Matís experts.
Area of work:
Cooperation with companies, individuals and municipalities on regional development and innovation in the South
Business and operational consulting
Project procurement and assistance with project financing, such as by preparing grant applications
Project management
Qualification requirements:
Education that is useful in work
Good interpersonal skills
Good oral and written communication skills
Initiative, independence and ambition
All genders are encouraged to apply. Applications must be accompanied by a detailed CV as well as the phone number or email address of the recommender.
More information about the job is provided by: Hörður Baldvinsson, co. ÞSV hbald@setur.is simi 841 7710 and Jónas R. Viðarsson, division manager at Matís jonas@matis.is 422 5107.
The application deadline is until September 20 please send an application to hbald@setur.is
The development of more environmentally friendly packaging, grass proteins, by-products of gardening and foods made from macroalgae, together with species analysis of salted fish, are among Matís' new projects in collaboration with companies and institutions.
The last few weeks proved successful for Matís's Icelandic food producers and partners, but thirteen projects that Matís works on received funding from the Food Fund when the fund announced its third allocation. Earlier this summer, eight other funds had announced that ten collaborative projects in which Matís is involved had secured funding. This excellent result clearly shows the strength and importance of the cooperation that Matís has with companies, institutions and entrepreneurs of all sizes and types, both within the country and abroad.
Matís' goal is to support research and innovation in the food and biotechnology industry, and the company's staff is proud to have the opportunity to work with forward-looking companies, institutions and entrepreneurs in shaping the future. The following is a brief overview of 23 new Matís collaboration projects that received positive responses about grant money in recent weeks. The picture below shows that Matís' partners in the projects are spread all over the country.
Icelandic Food Innovation Fund (is. Matvælasjóður)
Value from horticultural by-products is a joint project of the Farmers' Association, Orkídeu and Matís, where they are looking for ways to create increased value from the by-products of gardening, such as leaves that fall during defoliation in horticulture, plants that are in danger of yielding, any kind of cuttings such as rose petals, outermost leaves of cabbage , carrot grass and potato grass. Various valuable substances can be found in these side products, but now they are mostly composted or landfilled with the associated costs. Soon it will be prohibited to dispose of organic waste to the extent that it is done today due to negative environmental effects. It is therefore important to find a way to increase the value of this raw material and reduce waste.
LuLam Wrap (Lupine food wrap) is a joint project of Efnasmiðjunn, Sedna-Biopack, Sälufélag garðyrkjummanna and Matís. The goal of the project is to develop environmentally friendly, degradable packaging from Icelandic alaska and kelp, and test it for food use.
Flavorings made from seafood is a joint project of North Seafood Solutions, Útgerðarfélagins Lokinharma, Iceland Seafood Iberica and Matís. The goal of the project is to develop flavors and flavors from the by-products of fish processing in Iceland. These products are intended mainly for the foreign market for restaurants and canteens.
Meat snacks - value creation through full processing of horse meat is a joint project of a 1000-year-old rural village, Orkídea and Matís. The aim of the project is to increase the processing of Icelandic horsemeat and to develop new and valuable products from this underutilized raw material, including meat snack Market infrastructure will also be built to increase Icelanders' interest and consumption of meat snacks made from horse meat.
Enzymatic production of oligosaccharides from seaweeds is an innovative project that will be carried out within Matís' biotechnology group. The goal of the project is to develop a method for the production of oligosaccharides from macroalgae and thus increase the utilization of algae that grow in abundance on the coast of Iceland. Oligosaccharides are used in the food industry to change the taste and texture characteristics, as well as having a positive effect on the microflora in the digestive tract. Oligosaccharides can replace fat and/or sugar in food, and such use leads to healthier foods as oligosaccharides are low in calories.
BruXOS – Valorization of brewer‘s spent grain, a sidestream from beer production is a joint project between Ölgerðinn and Matís, where the goal is to create value from beer-making beer by using enzymes to convert fiber in the beer into xylose oligosaccharides. But as mentioned above, oligosaccharides are used in the food industry to change the taste and texture characteristics, as well as having a positive effect on the microflora in the digestive tract. Oligosaccharides can replace fat and/or sugar in food, and such use leads to healthier foods as oligosaccharides are low in calories.
Certification of origin of Icelandic salted fish in Spain is a joint project of the Association of Icelandic Saltfish Producers, the Norwegian Marine Research Institute and Matís. The project aims to develop a genetic method that can distinguish between cod from Íslandsmiður and cod caught off the coast of Norway and in the Barents Sea. Salted fish producers in this country suspect that salted cod products from Norway are sometimes wrongly labeled as Icelandic on markets in Southern Europe. The market position of Icelandic salted fish products has for a long time been very strong in Southern Europe, especially in Spain, Portugal and Italy. In these markets, Icelandic products have a certain uniqueness and prices for Icelandic saltfish are generally higher than for saltfish from other regions. If the goal of the project is successful, it will be possible to verify that salted fish is not sold under a false flag.
Relationship of NIR to growth and feed digestibility of salmonids is a joint project of the Association of Icelandic Fishmeal Producers, Síldarvállúnn, Eskja, Ísfélag Vestmannaeyja, the University of Iceland and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop a model to evaluate the quality of fishmeal as a raw material for salmon farm feed in a quick, easy and cheap way. The model will be based on NIR technology (near infrared spectroscopy) which provides information on the content and characteristics of the measured samples. This information can be used and compared in vivo actual measurements and thus get a forecast for various elements in the raw material. These include the chemical content and digestibility of raw materials, the composition of nutrients such as amino acids and fatty acids, to name a few. A NIR device actually provides a fingerprint of the raw material. With the NIR model, it will therefore be possible to assess the quality of fishmeal, which will provide fishmeal producers with data to improve their products and strengthen their bargaining position vis-a-vis feed producers. Similarly, the results of the project will enable feed manufacturers to select the right "right" fishmeal for their feed.
Is the grass greener on the other side? (grass protein) is a joint project of Matís, the Farmers' Association, the University of Agriculture and the Advisory Center for Agriculture. Protein is in high demand and one possible source of protein is grass. Abroad, especially in Denmark, research has been carried out in the field of protein processing from grass with good results. The goal of the project is to start research in this field in Iceland and carry out basic work that can then be built on. Results from Denmark cannot be transferred directly to Icelandic conditions, so it is important to carry out research in this area here. Protein extracted from grass can be used both as fodder and food. Research has also shown that waste from protein processing can be used as feed. In the project, samples of grass will be collected from the experimental cultivation of different cultivars and knowledge of the protein content and properties of the isolated protein will be obtained.
Nutritional data - key to national public health and innovation in the food industry is a joint project of Matís, the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR), the Association of Small Food Producers (SSMF), Mjölkursamsalen and other companies in the food industry. When making claims about the health and safety of food, information and knowledge are needed. The aim of the project is to improve and update the Icelandic database on the chemical content of food (ÍSGEM). ÍSGEM is now managed by Matís, but it has not been possible to finance its maintenance for the past 12 years. It is up to the food industry, scientists and the public alike not to be able to fully trust the information. A step will be taken to make it easier for the food industry and the public to use the database on the Matís website. During product development in the food industry, it is important to be able to examine the composition of raw materials when aiming for certain goals in the development.
Discection yields and nutrient value of Icelandic lamb meat and organs is a joint project of Icelandic Lamb marketing agency and Matís. The project relates to an assessment of utilization rates within the meat assessment categories of lamb and an analysis of the chemical content of meat and by-products that are of increasing value. The project is intended to update old and even outdated data and save it in public databases.
Pine fatty acids as a quality indicator is a joint project between True Westfjords and Matís where the goal is to use Furan fatty acids to evaluate the quality of fish oil, while True Westfjörds is a producer of cold-processed fish oil sold under the brand name Dropi.
Improved quality of sea-frozen roe is a joint project between Útgerðafélag Reykjavíkur and Matís, where efforts will be made to improve processing processes and the quality of sea-frozen pollock products.
Rannís Technology Development Fund
BIOTOOL, Advanced technology for environmental monitoring in aquaculture is a joint project of RORUM (Research and consultancy in environmental and regional affairs), the University of Iceland, the Danish Technical University (DTU) and Matís. The goal of the project is to develop a comprehensive genetic molecular tool for monitoring benthic communities for fish farming. The device in question is very sensitive and will result in significant savings in time and costs, which are important to both the fish farm and public regulators. The project is based on unique long-term data and the latest technology in environmental genetics. A very fast and environmentally friendly technology that uses environmental DNA (eDNA) will be used to monitor and measure changes in benthic communities.
Professional degree in sheep farming
Increased throughput and cost-effectiveness in rickets gene assays is a joint project of the Agricultural Advisory Center (RML) and Matís. Now the situation in the analyzes of the rickets gene has completely changed. A protective variation against scabies, i.e. at position 171 in the scabies gene, has been found in a herd in Þernunes in Reyðarfjörður, and extensive research is underway to investigate the effect of other variations in the scabies gene on susceptibility to scabies: 137, 138 and 151. In addition, it is important for farmers to receive information about 136 and 154, as Matís has analyzed for years. Therefore, it is clear that farmers and managers urgently need genotyping of all these six seats in as many artifacts as possible. The aim of the project is to increase the performance and reduce the price of riðügen analyzes in this country. The grant will be used to cover the costs of sequencing the scrapie gene to farmers and RML.
Lou fund
Fishing and processing of redfish in Vestmannaeyjar is a joint project of the Vestmannaeyri Knowledge Center, the Vestmannaeyri Research Service, the University of Iceland, the Norwegian Marine Research Institute, the Processing Center in the Vestmannaeyjar, the Ísfélag Vestmannaeyjar and Matís. In the project, the viability of catching and processing redfish in the Vestmannaeyjar will be investigated.
A fund for the promotion of a circular economy in Iceland
Microorganisms for aquaculture sludge enrichment is a joint project of Sjávarklasan and Matís. The goal of the project is to develop methods to use organic side streams (waste) from salmon farming in fertilizer.
Optimization of the implementation of the utilization of side streams for biochar and fertilizer production is a joint project between Landeldi and Matís, but the aim of the project is to The aim of the project is to investigate and document the recovery of nutrients from different dry chemical filters in land farming and their best handling for biochar production. The aim is to research and optimize processes for mixing livestock manure, fish slurry, feed residues and dead fish from land farming, with the aim of maximizing the soil-improving properties of biochar and the power of fertiliser. It will be investigated how biochar can be produced in the most economical way.
Environmental Fund for Sea Pig Farming
Monitoring of manatee farming areas using rapid genetic methods is a joint project between RORUM and Matís. The aim of the project is to develop fast genetic methods to monitor the biological diversity in the bottom layers under and around salmon dams.
EIT food
The relationship between feed and seasonal fluctuations in the nutritional content of milk (NUTRIMILK –Connecting milk seasonality and nutritional requirements to inform farm-to-fork innovations for optimum nutrient supply). The project is carried out in collaboration with the University of Reading, UK. The aim of the project is to examine changes in nutritional composition depending on the season. The project will (i) investigate the effect of production system (organic production vs conventional) and season (January-December), on the concentration of trace minerals and minerals in milk and (ii) evaluate the effect it has on the mineral intake of different social groups across the year.
Norwegian Research Council (Forskningsrådet)
Causal categorization of mortality as a model system for sustainable growth and increased value creation in aquaculture is a project funded by the Norwegian Research Council and led by the Department of Veterinary Medicine at NMBU University in Norway. Other participants are ÅKERBLÅ AS, SINTEF, PISCADA AS, LERØY, Laxar, Arctic Fish, Arnarlax and Matís. The goal of the project is to analyze the reasons for salmon deaths in aquaculture and to try to use that knowledge to reduce salmon deaths.
BlueBio Cofund
Strengthening European fisheries by creating a "fingerprint" of underutilized fish species to increase sustainability and reduce waste (EuFish_SustainableGrowth –European fisheries enhancement through "Omic" characterization and innovative seafood production from underutilized fish species. The project is led by the University of Naples Federico II, Italy and worked in collaboration with AquaBioTech ltd, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn of Naples, Brim, Grími kokki and Matís. The goal of the project is to examine underutilized fish species by using them better as nutritious food and/or as feed in aquaculture. By using diverse fish species, we can increase access to nutritious seafood and reduce food waste. Specific fingerprints of different species will be developed which can be shared with stakeholders in a database.
BláGræntFóður (Synergy of blue and green sectors for resilient biomass production and processing to develop sustainable feed ingredients for European aquaculture). The project is led by SINTEF in Norway, with the participation of the University of Åarhus, the University of Tallinn, the University of Iceland, Laxá and Montasjen in Norway. The goal of the project is to develop fish feed from grass proteins and feather meal from poultry farming.
The book "Renewable Economies in the Arctic" is published, which deals with renewable economies in the Arctic. Matís staff, Ólafur Reykdal, Rakel Halldórsdóttir, Óli Þór Hilmarsson, Gunnar Þórðarson and Þóra Valsdóttir are involved in one chapter of the book which deals with food production in the Arctic.
The book highlights the perspectives of experts in diverse fields, such as economics, sociology, political science and food science, when it comes to renewable economies. The perspectives shed light on the special challenges facing the Arctic and at the same time on the opportunities that exist to exploit sustainable resources and thus breathe life into the regions' economies.
Matís' staff were among the authors of the chapter "the Arctic as a food-producing region", which deals with food production in arctic regions, but which briefly covers Iceland, Northern Norway and Northern Canada. It is worth mentioning a section where it is discussed how the increased value of food from the Arctic regions of Norway could be achieved through targeted marketing. It is based on a detailed study that has been available for reference in Iceland.
In the April issue of the European magazine Eurofish Magazine, an interview was published with Jónas Rúnar Viðarsson, director of value creation at Matís.
In the article, Jónas shares with his readers a vision of the future of the fishing industry in Iceland and what Matís' role is in ensuring the quality of the catch.
New knowledge, technology and innovation have paved the way for improved quality of seafood and this development is constantly ongoing. Energy efficiency and sustainability are key in today's high-tech marine industry, both to meet customer needs and to reduce costs.
Matís has worked closely with the fishing industry for decades on the development of new solutions and work processes. Matís has also played an important role in educating future employees in the industry, both through teaching at universities and working with students. The link between industry, science, education and government is the key to successful cooperation.
In June, three projects, the so-called NordMar projects that have been running since 2019, will end with an impressive final conference that will take place at the Grand Hotel Reykjavík.
The projects NordMar Plastic, NordMar Biorefine and NordMar Ports began on the basis of the priorities of the Nordic Council of Ministers when Iceland held the presidency in the years 2019-2021.
NordMar Plastic led by Sophie Jensen, Matís' project manager, aims to raise awareness and educate the public about plastic pollution in the environment, as well as to develop and publish study materials and hold events that promote increased innovation in connection with the subject.
NordMar Biorefine is led by Val Norðra Gunnlaugsson, Director of Matís, and aims to assess the feasibility and potential of biomass plants for the blue bioeconomy in the Nordic countries and the formation of a network of experts in this field as well as education on related issues for younger generations.
In the project NordMar Ports Emphasis is placed on strengthening ports as centers of innovation and energy exchange, a project managed by partners in the Faroe Islands.
On Thursday 19 May, the Laurentic Forum hosted a workshop on the utilization of seaweed in the Arctic. The meeting was very interesting in all respects and was attended by about 100 people, from all over the world.
Recordings of the meeting can now be accessed on the event's website here: Laurenticforum.com
The meeting briefly reviewed the state of affairs regarding the utilization of algae worldwide, as well as in Canada (Newfoundland & Labrador), Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Ireland and Norway.
The agenda of the meeting was as follows:
Keith Hutchings from Canadian Center for Fisheries Innovation: Welcome
Paul Dobbins from WWF: Seaweed Farming as a Nature Based Solution- Opportunities and Challenges from WWF's Perspective
Kate Burns from Islander Rathlin Kelp: Farmed Kelp, What Market?
Olavur Gregersen from Ocean Rainforest Faroe Islands: Scaling up Kelp Farming in the North Atlantic
Anne Marit Bjørnflaten from Oceanfood AS North Norway: Macroalgae: A New and Sustainable Aquaculture Industry with Huge Potential in the Arctic
Jónas R. Viðarsson from Matís Iceland: Seaweed Production on the Rise in Iceland
Cyr Courtourier from the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University in Newfoundland: Future Prospects for Seaweed Farming Across Canada in a Subarctic Environment
Q&A
Learn more about the event or the Laurentic Forum jonas@matis.is
This week, Nýsköpunarvikan or Iceland Innovation Week has been celebrated all over the city. Tomorrow, Friday 20 May, there will be numerous presentations on the agenda related to innovation in the food sector and Matís' presentation will be: Sustainable food production - Innovation is the key! among them.
The event takes place in Gróska idea house in Vatnsmýri, in the hall Fenjamýri on the first floor and starts at 13: 30-15: 00.
Participation in the event is free. welcome!
The event consists of 5 short and fun presentations that deal in one way or another with innovation and sustainability in food production.
The program is as follows:
Is innovation good? Sensory evaluation and consumer research. - Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir
Opportunities for innovation in Icelandic vegetables - Eva Margrét Jónudóttir and Ólafur Reykdal
What do the protein donations of the future look like? -Margrét Geirsdóttir
One person's waste, another person's gold? Sustainable fertilizer production in Iceland -Jónas Baldursson and Eva Margrét Jónudóttir
How to talk to children about sustainability and climate change? -Katrín Hulda Gunnarsdóttir
More about the lecture:
Aðalheiður Ólafsdóttir is a real genius in everything to do with sensory evaluation and consumer research, as she intends to educate guests about what these things entail in her talk at Innovation Week; Is innovation good? Interested parties can also get their sensory skills tested! "It does not matter if a new product on the market is harmful, free of all the world's flavors and colors, organic and sustainable. If it tastes or smells very bad, it will not do well "
Ólafur Reykdal is a real ball of experience when it comes to researching Icelandic vegetables and grains and Eva Margrét has been doing food research for years! They will have a very lively talk at Innovation Week where Kahoot will be involved and discuss the countless opportunities that lie in innovation in the vegetable sector!
Margrét Geirsdóttir, a biochemist and general life artist, is currently working hard on the NextGen Proteins project on the protein source of the future together with Birgur Erni Smárason, project manager. She's going to cover what's news about insect protein and spirulina research and even allow guests to taste unconventional proteins!
Jónas Baldursson and Eva Margrét have been working on researching poop and shit for the last few seasons! Of course, it would be more beautiful to talk about organic waste and they do in general. They are going to show a video in Tik-Tok style about their project on Sustainable Fertilizer Production during Innovation Week. The message is especially relevant at the moment as conditions in the world are making it difficult for everyone to transport fertilizer between countries.
Katrín Hulda and Justine Vanhalst know all about how best and most ingenious it is to educate children and young people about difficult issues such as climate change and sustainability. This winter, they have been working on two different projects with children all over the country and even beyond the country, where they have activated them to put on entrepreneurial glasses and face real challenges - and find real solutions! Their talk at Innovation Week is about the results of these projects.
Since 2005, the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) has been an annual event where executives and stakeholders in fisheries and aquaculture meet in Bergen to learn about key innovations and compare books. In fact, the event was canceled in 2020 due to Covid, and last year, NASF was run as an online event.
This time, NASF will be held on June 21-23 and will be a so-called "hybrid" event., where it is expected that about 800 people will attend Bergen in person and that up to 1,500 people will participate via the internet. The program is particularly exciting this time as a total of over 160 lectures will be given in 27 seminars.
Do not miss this event!
Since 2005, managers and stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture industry have flocked to Bergen every year to attend the NASF conference. The target group of this three-day conference has traditionally been managers in the fisheries, aquaculture and related industries, ie. equipment manufacturers, marketing companies, banks, insurance companies, carriers, consulting companies, etc. Although the cost of participation has been significant, between 800 and 1,000 people have attended the event each year, which shows how important this conference is for the target group. Last year, NASF was transferred to the Internet, thanks to COVID, and it was considered a great success. Therefore, NASF will be held this year as a "hybrid" event. This year's program is particularly exciting and has been published on https://nor-seafood.com/
If there is a big link to the program, the following seminars attract special attention:
Global aquaculture summit
The post covid consumer by McKinsey
Aquaculture feed summit
Aquaculture & salmon market and production
Global whitefish summit
Global seafood transport summit
International shrimp summit
Land based fish farming
Pelagic industry summit
As often before, Icelandic companies and individuals play an important role in the program. First of all, Marel and Benchmark Genetics / Stofnfiskur are among the main sponsors of the conference. The following Icelanders or parties connected to Iceland will be on the list of speakers:
Mikael Tal Grétarsson - Iclandair Cargo
Björn Hembre - Icelandic Salmon / Arnarlax
Guðmundur Gíslason - Ice Fish Farm / Fiskeldi Austfjarðar
Kjartan Ólafsson - Icelandic Salmon / Arnarlax
Participation in NASF in recent years has not been widespread, as the registration fee alone has been close to 200,000. kr. in addition, travel and accommodation in Bergen costs money. Nevertheless, fewer have found out than want to, as this is a unique opportunity to meet all the main managers in the fisheries and aquaculture industry in one place.
Now, however, the entire program will also be accessible online, where, among other things, it will be possible to organize online meetings with other participants. The conference fee for those who want to participate in person in Bergen is 1,490 EUR and for those who want to participate online, the fee is 490 EUR. Registration is required https://nor-seafood.com/registration/ but you can also contact Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís to negotiate a discount if companies want to register multiple participants. You can also contact Jónas for more information about NASF22.
There is still a possibility to become a sponsor of NASF22, in addition to which there is still an opportunity for innovation and technology companies to find out about the "New horizon & technology" part of the conference. Further information on sponsorship and NH&T can be found here.
